Stitching machine



Sept. 19, 1933. ALLEN, r AL 1,927,482

STITCHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. HOWARD ($.ALLEN A TTORNEYs Sept. 19, 1933. H, G ALLEN ET AL 1,927,482

STITCHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. N HOWARD (TA/.1. 51v JOHN H. BLISS I: BY h 7 w i A TTORNE Y5 Patented Sept. 19,1933

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STITCHING MACHINE Application October 26, 1931; Serial No. 571,128

Claims.

This invention relates to stitching machines and it has to do especially with an improved stitching machine arrangement for applying stitches to specially shaped containers. More 5 particularly the invention has to do with sealing containers which may contain one or more edible articles.

Such edible article may be an article of pastry, such as pie. As specifically related to such edible articles the invention contemplates a stitching machine arrangement for applying a sealing cover for the pie and attaching the same by means of stitches taken through the usual paper or fibrous pie container.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention showing the container to be acted upon in place, showing some parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating in section and in more detail the manner in which the stitches are applied.

which utilizes stitch material in long lengths.

which may be carried upon aspool and from which lengths are severed, formed into staple shape and then driven. The driver of the stitcher head is illustrated at 4 (see Fig. 3).

Supported by the machine is an anvil arm 5 which may carry an anvil proper 6 advantageously in the form of a hardened steel insert which underlies the driver and which is arranged to. engage the ends of the stitches and clinch the same. This arm maybe pivotally mounted to the post 1 as at 'I. The arm may have a projection 8 carrying a screw-threaded stud 9 arranged to abut against a fixed part of the post 1 as for example, a cross pin 10. By feeding the screw 9 in or out the arm 5 may be raised or lowered by pivotal action around the point 7.

Supporting means is provided for supporting the work and such supporting means may also include movable parts for facilitating manipulation of the work during stitching operation.

' Supporting members which may be in the form 'wheel 27 and it may be held in any given posiof angle arms may be provided one on each side of the arm 5, one of said supporting members beingillustrated at 12 and pivotal relative to the arm 5 by means of being. mounted upon a pin 13. A pair of rods 14 may be rigidly secured at one end, as at 15 to the respective supports 12. A cross head 20 is arranged through which the arms 14 freely pass, and journaled in this cross head is a stud 21 which may have a head in the form of a wing nut as shown at 22 underlying the bracket 20,. and which isscrewthreaded into the arm 5. It will be. appreciated that by turning the stud 21 the arms 14 may be raised or lowered by pivotal action of the brackets 12 around point 13. Another cross head 23 may be provided through which the arm rods 14 extend but which is fixedto the rods as by means of set screws 24. Slidably mounted on. the rods .near their free or outer ends is a supporting fixture 25, journaled in which is a shaft 26 having a hand wheel 27 and prevented from axial movement relative to the fixture by a collar 28. This shaft is screw threaded on one end as at 29 and this end threads into an aperture in the cross head 23. A set screw 30 may be provided for impinging on shaft 26 to prevent its rotation. It will be seen that if the set screw'be loosened, then the fixture 25 may be fed along the arms 14 by turning oi the hand tion by tightening of the set screw.

The fixture 25 is of hollow or recessed formation for receiving a post or stud of. a work holding table or tray. For ease of manipulation of the holder or tray anti-friction bearings may be employed one .near the bottom of the recess, as shown at 35, andone near the top as at 36. The

inner races of these bearings may be relatively long so that one abuts against the other as shown. A table or tray for the work is illustrated at 37, and secured thereto as at the bottomis a stud 39, the securing of which to the tray may be. strengthened by flanged sleeve or collar 40. The stud 39 is arranged to slip down into the inner races'of the bearings and means may be provided for holding it in place. For this purpose each inner race may be notched, and the stud 39 may have a pair of recesses in which are located springpressed elements, such as balls, for engaging in the notches. The recesses are illustrated at 41, the springs at 42, and the balls at 43, whereas the cooperating notches are shown at 44.

The work in the present instance as shown is a pie held in a container, usually of paper or no fibrous material 45. This container is placed in the tray or table 3'7 and a covering of suitable material such as a sheet of material preferably transparent or translucent and flexible or other sealing material such as thin paper or the like is placed thereover, the same being illustrated at 46. The diameter of the cover 46 is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of the container. Over this there may be placed a reinforcing ring which may be of fibrous material similar to the material constituting the container, the same being illustrated at 47.

In setting up the machine due regard will be had for the size of the container to be handled, both as to its diameter and depth. Accordingly, a tray may be selected to fit the container for which purpose various sized trays may be at hand which are readily removable and. replaceable in fixture 25. The anvil arm 5 may be adjusted to position the anvil proper the correct distance below the stitcher head and for cooperation with the driver of the stitcher head. The work holder may be adjusted vertically through the means of the screw shaft 21 so that the edge of the work properly overlies the anvil 6, and the fixture 25 may be fed along the rods 14 to properly position the rim of the containerwith respect to the anvil and driver.

In the operation of the machine a filled container may be placed within the tray over which may be placed the sealing covering together with the strengthening ring 47. The stitching machine may now be operated at which time the driver drives a stitch down through the overlapping parts as shown in Figs. 3, the legs of the same being clinched by the anvil 6. Successive stitch driving operations may be taken and between the operations the work may be rotated which rotation is facilitated by the anti-friction bearings 35 and 36. Any suitable number of stitches may be taken around the rim of the container, and they are preferably fairly evenly spaced.

We claim: I

1. In a stitching machine the combination of a stitcher head, an anvil arm having an anvil underlying the stitcher head, a supporting device pivotally secured to the anvil arm, adjustable means also securing the supporting device to the anvil arm andoperable to adjust the supporting means relative thereto on said pivot, and a tray or the like carried by the supporting means for holding a piece ofwork and presenting the same to the stitcher head and anvil.

2. In a' stitching machine the combination of a stitcher head, an anvil arm having an anvil underlying the stitcher head, a supporting device pivotally secured to the anvil arm, adjustable means also securing the supporting device to the anvilarm and operable to adjust the supporting means relative thereto on said pivot, a fixture including a journal bearing carried by said support, a work supportingtray having an axis member journaled in said fixture, and means for shifting the fixture along said supporting device.

3. A machine for fastening a cover to a substantially circular container comprising a stitcher head for inserting metal staples, an anvil arm normally fixed as regards the stitcher head having an anvil spaced from the stitcher head for clinching the legs of the metal staples, a supporting device having a journal bearing, a tray for the container, a spindle on the tray journaled on the supporting bearing, said journal bearing being disposed out of alignment with the stitcher head and anvil so as to present an edge of a circular container between the stitcher head and anvil, means movably mounting the support, and adjusting means for shifting the support substantially in the axial direction of the journal bearing.

4. A machine for fastening a cover to a substantially circular container comprising a stitcher head for inserting metal staples, an anvil arm normally fixed as regards the stitcher head having an anvil spaced from the stitcher head for clinching the legs of the metal staples, a supporting device having a journal bearing, a tray for the container, a spindle on the tray journaled on the supporting bearing, said journal bearing being disposed out of alignment with the stitcher head and anvil so as to present an edgeof a circular container between the stitcher head and anvil, and adjusting means for shifting the support in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of extent of the journal bearing.

5. A stitching machine for stitching a sealing cover to the edge portions of a filled pie plate, comprising a stitcher head located in a fixed position for driving metal stitches downwardly, an anvil spaced below the stitcher head for clinching the metal stitches, a support having a journal bearing with a vertical axis disposed axially removed from the stitcher head and anvil and below the horizontal plane of the anvil, an upwardly opening tray, means on the tray fitted in the journal bearing whereby the tray is rotatably mounted and held in an upwardly openingposition, said tray being adapted to receive a pie container, side walls on the tray within which the body of the pie container is adapted to substantially fit so that the pie container is held substantially centrally in the tray, said tray having a diameter less than the over-all diameter of the pie container and the depth of the tray being less than the total depth of the container whereby the edge portions of the pie container project over the walls and beyond thetray, the position of the tray being such that the edge portion of the container lies in the space between the stitcher head and anvil, and said tray being adaptedto be rotated on the axis of the journal bearing when the stitcher head is operated.

HOWARD G. ALLEN. JOHN H. BLISS. 

